


What Started as a Lie

by NikAdair



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: College AU, Mentions of various other characters - Freeform, Shared Bed Trope, brief kenhina moment for plot (it's just a kiss), daisuga wedding, fake dating au, kagehina are bad at feelings, mentions of drinking (everyone is old enough)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28233834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikAdair/pseuds/NikAdair
Summary: It had started out as a lie. An excuse to get them to stop asking. A spur of the moment decision. But what came after would lead to confusion and realizations that neither of them were ready for.ORThe stupidity of a white lie that leads to KageHina into fake dating
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 7
Kudos: 80
Collections: Kagehina Big Bang 2020





	What Started as a Lie

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the KageHina Big Bang!  
> Beta's by the wonderful Keira (xkatsudeku on Insta and touchedbyhiraeth on AO3). Bless her for making this fic actually readable.  
> Art by the wonderful Nikk (NikkDoodles on Twitter): [Click Here for Art!!](https://twitter.com/nikkdoodles/status/1341273135665082368?s=21)

“Daichi, I thought we agreed on the vases on the tables,” Suga said, tapping insistently on the binder in front of him.

“I was pretty sure we agreed on doing tiered tea candles,” Daichi said, flipping through a few pages to point at a picture.

Suga shook his head, looking over at Hinata. “Hey, Hinata! Please tell me you remember what we’d agreed on!”

Hinata cocked his head to the side, trying to remember the last time he’d helped them with their wedding planning. He could only recall vague comments and discussions. He looked over to Kageyama, hoping he’d remember.

Kageyama rolled his eyes, tapping on his phone and bringing up his notes app. “You guys had decided on the vases. You specifically had me write it down because you said something about how you’d both forget.”

“Ha! I told you it was vases!” Suga cheered, scribbling it down somewhere in their binder. Daichi rolled his eyes but smiled lovingly at him. “Now, what flowers did we decide to go in the vases?”

Hinata got up from the table, leaving Kageyama to help with the details they’d forgotten (he’d never been good at remembering things like that, nor did he ever think to write them down) as he walked into the living room. Tanaka and Noya were perched on the couch in the middle of a very heated Mario Kart tournament, leaning this way and that as their cars drove around the track.

Noya shoved Tanaka and his character started swerving into the wall. “What the hell Noya?!” Tanaka shouted, shoving Noya back.

Unlike Tanaka though, Noya had enough control of his character to not go careening off the track. “Says the one that just shoved me!”

Hinata chose to sit on the floor, both to watch his friends play as they tried to sabotage each other, and to avoid getting pulled into the shoving match. Much to his surprise, Tanaka ended up passing Noya to secure third place while Noya ended up in fifth.

“Alright, how the hell did you pull ahead?!” Noya shouted, snatching Tanaka’s Joy-Con and hopping over the coffee table.

“I got there fair and square!” Tanaka shouted back, chasing Noya around said table. Hinata watched them, pulling himself on the couch.

“Tanaka! Noya! I swear to god, if you two don’t calm down, I am kicking you out!” Daichi shouted from the kitchen. Hinata started laughing as the two froze, wide eyes turning to look at where Daichi was glaring at them.

They slowly made their way back to the couch -- Noya gave Tanaka back his Joy-Con -- and they sat down with a unison “We’re sorry, dad” before continuing with their game.

Daichi gave them one more glare before walking away, and Hinata snickered again.

“What’re you laughing about?” Tanaka said, half accusatory.

“I can’t believe you guys called him  _ dad _ ,” Hinata responded, starting to laugh again.

“To be fair, you’ve also called him dad.” Hinata turned to see Kageyama walking over to the couch, sitting between him and Noya. “I’m pretty sure we all have at some point.”

Noya and Tanaka turned to him with the same shit-eating grin. “So you admit that you’ve called him dad?” they said in unison, pausing their race.

Kageyama froze, his face going red. “I never said that! I never have!”

“That’s a complete and utter lie and you know it!” Suga called from the kitchen. “You just called him dad last week!”

“Suga!” Kageyama groaned. Hinata started laughing alongside Tanaka and Noya, and Kageyama hit him with one of the pillows sitting on the floor in front of them. “You have no room to talk, Hinata! You called him dad yesterday!”

“Yeah, well, at least I haven’t called Suga  _ mom _ !” Hinata argued back, earning him another hit from the pillow while Tanaka and Noya fell off the couch, laughing.

“Oh my god, did you actually?” Noya wheezed, clutching his stomach.

“Bro, I think I might actually throw up from laughing. That’s hilarious!” Tanaka said, tears starting to form in his eyes.

Kageyama’s face was bright red. He turned to Hinata, who immediately jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen. Daichi and Suga looked up at him in surprise as Hinata hid behind Suga. Kageyama came storming in, murder in his eyes, and Hinata squeaked, ducking down.

“Hinata, you better hope I don’t catch you, cause if I do, you’re dead,” he said, stalking around the table.

“Suga, help!” Hinata said, ducking under the table and emerging on the other side. Tanaka and Noya were still howling with laughter in the living room, and Kageyama started for the other side of the table. Hinata took off down the hall, locking himself in the bathroom.

He heard stomping coming towards him. He heard stomping coming towards him, followed by the sound of Kageyama banging on the door. “Hinata, open the damn door. I just want to talk.” Hinata backed away against the tub, the backs of his knees hitting the edge. “Hinata. Open the door.”

The banging continued for another minute before Hinata heard Suga’s voice on the other side. He couldn’t tell what was being said, but he jumped when there was another knock on the door. “Hinata? It’s Suga. Come out of the bathroom.”

He didn’t want to, but if Suga was telling him to, then it had to be safe to come out. Hinata unlocked the door, opening it slowly, and found Suga standing there, arms crossed. He sighed a little in relief and opened the door fully. “Are you sure it’s safe to come out?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Kageyama isn’t going to kill you. Though I doubt he ever would. But try not to tease him so much?” Suga said.

“Sorry, Suga,” Hinata responded. Suga smiled, leading him back to the living room.

Hinata rounded the corner to walk in and was met with a pillow to the face. He heard Tanaka and Noya snickering and stumbled back a step. When he could see again, he saw Kageyama smirking at him before walking back to the couch.

Suga sighed, walking to the kitchen. Hinata picked up the pillow, throwing it at Kageyama before finding a spot on the floor. The pillow came flying for him, but he dodged it, watching it hit the floor further away. They looked at each other. “Truce?”

Kageyama rolled his eyes. “Fine, truce.”

-.-.-

Hinata was sprawled out on the floor, his legs kicked up on the coffee table, scrolling through Twitter while some movie played. Daichi and Suga had finally finished their panicked planning for the night and had taken over the TV (much to Tanaka and Noya’s disappointment).

“So, do you guys know who you’re going to the wedding with?” Tanaka asked, pulling Hinata’s attention away from his phone.

“Well, Asahi, of course,” Noya said matter of factly. “I’m the best man for the Best Man after all.” There was a collective groan from the group at the bad joke, but Noya smiled proudly.

“I think I might ask Ennoshita. I’m sure he would go with me. I hope, at least,” Tanaka said, sounding a little unsure. Hinata sat up, looking over at him.

“I don’t see why he would say no. You’ve known him for years. Besides, we see the way you two look at each other,” Suga said, laughing a little.

Tanaka’s face grew red and he slouched into the couch, trying to hide his face. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean Ennoshita will go with me.”

“You won’t know unless you ask!” Noya said encouragingly.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But enough of that. What about you two?” Tanaka asked, looking between Hinata and Kageyama.

Kageyama shook his head, and Hinata looked back at Tanaka. “No, neither of us have asked anyone. Haven’t really thought about it.”

“Hinata, you can’t go alone! It’s a wedding!”

“You too, Kageyama! It’s so lame to be the lone stags at weddings!”

Suga rolled his eyes, looking over at them. “You are under no obligation to go with anyone. As long as you have fun, that’s all we care about. Right, Daichi?”

“Of course. We’d hate for you two to have a bad time there,” Daichi agreed.

“Don’t listen to them, they don’t get a say. They’re the ones getting married.”

“Yeah. Come on! You have to bring someone with you!”

Tanaka and Noya kept going, making the same comments until Suga sent them his ‘Mom Glare’ (something the Crows had collectively started calling back when Suga and Daichi were still in school with them). They shut up instantly, shrinking a little under his gaze.

“We promise that bringing someone is not mandatory. We just want you guys to be there,” he said gently. It did little to put Hinata’s nerves at ease, though. He looked over at Kageyama and could tell he was just as tense and stressed about the thought.

Daichi stood, stretching his arms over his head. “As much as I love having you guys here, it  _ is _ getting late and I have work in the morning,” he said through a yawn, which was basically his way of saying ‘I want you to leave but I have to be polite because Suga is here’.

Everyone grabbed their things, letting Suga and Daichi usher them out of their apartment. Hinata was a little lost in thought as they walked out of the building, really only reacting when Noya and Tanaka split off to head to their shared apartment.

Kageyama and Hinata walked in silence for a while, but it was slowly getting to them. “Do you think we should find someone to go with?” Hinata asked, his hands fidgeting.

“You heard Suga. They just want us there. Why would we have to find someone?” Kageyama said, shoving his shoulder.

Hinata stumbled a little, forcing a laugh. “Yeah, I know. You’re right.” They were quiet until they got back to their apartment. “But, maybe Noya and Tanaka are right. Maybe we should.”

Hinata expected a glare from Kageyama, but he didn’t receive one. When he looked at him, Kageyama looked as if he was actually thinking about it. “Who would we even ask? We only know Yachi, and she’s already with someone.” Kageyama shook his head. “This isn’t even a problem right now. We’ll figure something out. Now go to bed, idiot. It’s late.”

Kageyama walked to his room, leaving Hinata in the entryway. “Yeah, we’ll figure something out,” he said softly before walking to his room.

-.-.-

School had started a few weeks later, and already the Crows were busy playing volleyball. Ennoshita, despite his previous qualms of becoming captain, had taken to the role with ease, working them just as hard as Daichi had.

Hinata was just excited to be able to play again. It’s not like he hadn’t been practicing over the summer -- he and Kageyama would do drills together, doing toss and spike practices -- but it was different when he had the team with him. Although, there were things he didn’t miss about it.

“Come on, Hinata, don’t tell me you lost all ability to play over the summer,” Tsukishima called, watching Hinata shank a receive for the third time that practice. He did his best to ignore him, but as he botched a fourth, Tsukishima started cackling -- similar to how Kuroo laughed -- and he turned to him, glaring.

“Tsukishima, stop that,” Ennoshita called. “We’re all just a little rusty, that’s all. You still have plenty you can work on.” That got Tsukishima to stop laughing. Instead, he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Ennoshita turned his attention to Hinata. “Just relax and breathe. Watch the ball before you move.”

Hinata nodded, and Tanaka tossed a ball for Ennoshita to spike down. He watched the path of the ball, lunging to the left as it came down. It bumped off his arms perfectly, traveling up in a perfect arc to be received by the setter. “Great job, little man!” Tanaka yelled. Hinata beamed.

“That makes five. Good work, Hinata,” Ennoshita said, smiling at him. “Yamaguchi, you’re up next.” Yamaguchi traded places with Hinata, getting into position when they heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the gym.

“Yo! Tanaka!” Tanaka looked over, seeing Taketora waving him down. Behind followed the rest of Nekoma, though Taketora seemed on a mission.

“Tora! My dude!” Tanaka yelled. He looked at Ennoshita in a silent ask of permission, and he nodded with a sigh. Tanaka took off towards Taketora, and Hinata laughed when he all but knocked the other over.

Ennoshita sighed, shaking his head. Taketora made his way over to them. “Yo, Enno, I didn’t know you guys would be here today.”

“I didn’t think we’d be seeing you, either,” Ennoshita said, raising a hand in greeting.

“Hope we aren’t interrupting anything,” Taketora said, looking between Ennoshita and the basket of volleyballs.

“Actually, I’m really glad you guys showed up. How about a quick game?”

Hinata perked up, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “You really think you can beat us?” Taketora said, eyes glinting.

He saw Ennoshita smirk and grew even more excited. Ennoshita took a step forward, challenge burning in his eyes. “Oh, I know we can.”

-.-.-

Hinata walked off the court, all but stumbling on his way to his water. His legs felt like jello and they burned, but it was a good feeling. He’d missed it if he was being honest. He dropped to the floor, leaning back on his hands, and looked up to see Kageyama coming to sit with him.

“We need to practice that quick some more,” Kageyama said. “It’s gotten a little sloppy, and I refuse to have us be the reason we miss points.”

“You need to relax, Kags. We just got back to playing with the team. We have so much time before the tournament to work on it,” Hinata said, taking a long drink of his water.

“That’s not the point, idiot,” Kageyama said, startling Hinata a little. He coughed, having inhaled a bit of water. “If we aren’t in sync, how is the team going to be able to rely on us?”

Hinata knew where this was going. Knew that when Kageyama started talking like this, it was because he was stuck in his head. In the memories of his high school team. He sighed, knocking his foot against Kageyama’s leg. “They’ll rely on us whether we’re perfect or not. That’s the whole point of a team. No matter what, we have each other’s backs.” Kageyama frowned, but his eyes were a little clearer, and the lines on his face softened a little. “Besides, you know I’ll hit whatever ball you give me. Even if it’s a sucky toss.”

Kageyama squirted water at him, and Hinata laughed. He could see that there was the faintest hint of a smile on Kageyama’s face, and it filled him with pride to know that he could get him to smile. It also filled him with a warmth he didn’t recognize, but he didn’t get the chance to think about it. Kenma and Lev had walked over, standing in front of him.

“You guys are as freakish as always,” Lev said, sitting in front of Kageyama. Kenma followed suit, wiping his face with the front of his shirt.

“You guys are just as on point as usual,” Hinata said.

Kenma snorted, shaking his head. “Lev is still just as bad as I remember.” Lev squawked, shoving Kenma. It only made him laugh. “Is there any way you can give him some pointers, Hinata?”

“Are you sure Hinata is the right person to be asking?” Kageyama said, cutting off any response Hinata may have had.

He did, however, shove him. Though he didn’t get very far. Kageyama barely moved, and that only frustrated Hinata more. That, and the triumphant smirk Kageyama had. Hinata rolled his eyes, looking back at Kenma. “I’d love to. Though I can’t say I’m very good at explaining things. I just kind of move on instinct.”

Kenma waved a hand, as though dismissing the comment. “That’s exactly why you’d be the best person. Lev here also seems to move on instinct.” Kenma side-eyed Lev, leaning forward as though to whisper to Hinata. “If I’m being honest, I don’t think he even has a brain.”

It was very much  _ not _ a whispered comment, nor did Kenma seem to make any attempt to be quiet. Hinata heard Kageyama snickering, as well as saw Lev’s mouth flopping open and closed in a manner that reminded Hinata of a fish. It made him laugh, and Kenma smiled, leaning back.

“Kenma, you’re so mean,” Lev eventually whined, which only made the group laugh more.

“Believe me, I could be way meaner.”

Hinata and Kageyama nodded in agreement, remembering a day the previous year where the Crows had met up with Kenma and his team for lunch. That had ended with Fukunaga carrying Kenma out before the argument he and Taketora had gotten into could turn into a full-blown fight. Needless to say, what Kenma had said just now could only be considered light teasing.

For a while, they talked about the match and how they thought their teams had done, what they could do to improve personally, and how they were looking forward to their next one before they shifted topics to Daichi and Suga’s wedding.

“You guys are going, right?” Hinata asked, looking at them expectantly.

“I don’t have a choice. Kuroo is dragging me with him,” Kenma said, shoulders sagging a little.

Hinata tipped his head slightly, looking at him. “You don’t want to go?”

Kenma sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “It’s not that I don’t want to go. Though I don’t particularly like big celebrations. It’s more that I don’t want Kuroo to get the wrong idea.”

Kageyama and Hinata looked at each other, both confused. “What do you mean ‘wrong idea’?”

“Kuroo is a little… romantic? I guess that’s the best way to explain it. He’s already confessed to me that he has feelings, but he doesn’t want to push me into a relationship I don’t want.” Kenma leaned back on his hands. “But I don’t feel the same. I don’t really have an interest in romance. And I’m just afraid that going to the wedding will make him pushy, I guess.”

Hinata didn’t know what to say. He’d seen the way Kuroo would look at Kenma. Could very clearly tell that it was the same way Daichi looked at Suga. But that didn’t mean he knew how love worked. Didn’t know anything about it, really.

“But it’s whatever. I’ll be there to support your Crow parents,” Kenma said, sitting back up. “What about you Lev? Have you finally asked Yaku to go with you?”

Hinata looked over at the silver-haired boy, seeing that his face was tinged red. “Thanks for telling them, Kenma.” Kenma just waved his hand. “But to answer your question, no, I haven’t. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to.”

“And you two?” Kenma turned his attention to them.

Hinata laughed a little, looking over at Kageyama, not really wanting to be the one to answer. Thankfully, Kageyama answered for them. “No. Honestly, I’m probably going to go by myself. Suga already said that we didn’t have to go with anyone, that he just wanted us there. So I don’t see a reason to find anyone to go with.”

Hinata nodded in agreement, though the answer didn’t seem to sit well with Lev. “How can you guys  _ not _ go with someone? It’s a wedding! It’s supposed to be romantic and beautiful and coupley!” he all but shouted, which made Kenma wince.

“I don’t see anything wrong with going by yourselves,” Kenma said. Lev gave him a look, but Kenma kept his gaze trained on Hinata. “Do whatever makes you feel comfortable. That’s all that matters, after all.”

“I could see you two going with volleyballs as your dates. You’re so obsessed with the sport,” Lev said, earning a punch to the arm from Kenma.

Hinata laughed at the comment, although the air suddenly felt heavy and suffocating. Part of him wished he hadn’t brought up the wedding. He’d been hoping to keep the conversation away from the two of them. He glanced over at Kageyama, seeing him looking down at the water bottle in his hands.

Hinata took a breath, standing. “Well, it’s getting late and I’m starving. We should probably get going,” he said, nudging Kageyama’s knee. Kageyama looked up at him, frowning a little, but he nodded. “We’ll have to get together for lunch sometime, yeah?”

“Oh, definitely!” Lev said. “Sometime soon!”

Hinata nodded, grabbing his bag. He waved at the two Nekoma players and started for the doors. Kageyama wasn’t far behind, and as soon as they walked through them and into the fall air, Hinata sighed. “Do you think Lev is right? That we need to find dates?”

“We’ve already had this conversation. Dates don’t matter,” Kageyama said, walking ahead of him. “Now hurry up. I’m cooking dinner by myself tonight.”

-.-.-

A month had passed by, and the wedding was only a week away. Of course, since it was Saturday, it was Crows Game Night, so the members of the team who were free were over at Daichi and Suga’s apartment. Said Crow parents were in their kitchen, much like they had been every other game night, pouring over their binder for last-minute details they may have missed.

They were panicking. Everyone could see it. Hinata had been dragged into almost-arguments on multiple occasions, having to defuse discussions about flowers or colours. And every time, he’d had to call Kageyama in to help, because he still hadn’t remembered to write down anything he’d been told, but Kageyama had.

This situation was no different.

“Suga, did we say crepe paper arches between seats?” Daichi asked, flipping through their binder, as though he hadn’t already done the exact same thing multiple times without finding the answer.

“No! We already talked about this! No arches!” Suga said, exasperated. His head was in his hands as he turned to look at Hinata. “Hinata, please tell him we said no arches.”

“Uh…” He turned to Kageyama, who did a quick note check and nodded. “Kageyama says that you did indeed decide no arches.”

“Noted,” Daichi said, scribbling it down in a side margin of the binder.

“How is it that you guys are getting married in a  _ week _ and are still stressing about this stuff? Shouldn’t you already have all of this solidly decided?” Kageyama asked, looking between them.

Suga and Daichi both gave him looks that Hinata was certain could wither even the brightest of flowers. He was thankful that they weren’t turned towards him. He did see Kageyama shrink a little, raising his hands in defense.

Daichi sighed, running a hand over his forehead. “Please go to the living room.” Hinata opened his mouth to say something, but Daichi turned his gaze to him. He looked tired and frustrated, so Hinata closed it with a nod.

Hinata pulled Kageyama with him into the living room, where he saw Noya, Tanaka, and Ennoshita playing Mario Party. Asahi sat behind Noya, practically wrapped around him. If Hinata was being honest, he was a little jealous that they were so close. Granted, the two of them were dating, but still.

Kageyama and Hinata sat on the floor next to Tanaka, watching the couple play some minigame. “So, how are things going with the parents?” Tanaka asked, eyes never leaving the screen. Noya snorted in laughter, and even Asahi chuckled.

“They’re so stressed that it’s suffocating,” Hinata said, stretching his arms over his head.

“The wedding is next week and they’re still arguing over the small things,” Kageyama added.

Ennoshita shook his head slightly. “They’re allowed to be stressed. They want everything to be perfect.”

“It'd be perfect no matter what,” Asahi said. “It’s Daichi and Suga. They’re like the dream couple.” He yelped when Noya elbowed him, rubbing his side. “Okay, Noya and I are the dream couple. But that’s not the point. It’s them, and no matter what, it’ll be perfect.”

The minigame ended, and Tanaka turned to look towards the kitchen. “You hear that? Asahi says that no matter what, your wedding will be perfect!” There were sounds of dismissal at the comment, and it made the group laugh a little.

Ennoshita set his Joy-Con down, stretching his arms over his head and leaning against Tanaka, who immediately stiffened before relaxing. Hinata smiled at them, watching as Tanaka wrapped an arm around Ennoshita's shoulder.

It was rare to see Tanaka nervous, but he couldn’t blame him. It’d only been a few weeks since he’d not only asked Ennoshita to go with him to the wedding, but also confessed his feelings, so of course, he’d be nervous. Honestly, Hinata was a little surprised that Ennoshita was so calm.

Noya broke him from his thoughts. “Given that the wedding is next week, have you two finally found dates?” Asahi clamped a hand over Noya’s mouth, effectively cutting off any further comments he might’ve made, but that didn’t stop Tanaka.

“Yeah. Are you going with any one of the girls we set you up with?”

Hinata groaned, remembering all the girls he’d been forced to go to lunch with because of Noya and Tanaka. It wasn’t that they were bad people, because they really weren’t. But Hinata just didn’t like any of them. At least, not enough to even be friends with them.

“You can’t possibly tell me that you didn’t pick  _ any _ of them,” Noya said, prying Asahi’s hand off his mouth.

“What about you Kags?”

“Please tell me you picked one.”

This went on, comments made about how there had to be  _ someone _ , until Hinata and Kageyama both cracked, shouting, “We did find someone!” in unison. It got the two of them to freeze and stop talking, looking between each other.

“Who might these mysterious guests be, then?” Ennoshita asked.

Hinata opened and closed his mouth, trying to figure out what to say. He looked helplessly at Kageyama, but he was in the same situation. Hinata waved his hands, hoping it would make words appear, but it only earned confused looks from his friends. Hinata saw Asahi give him a pitying look, and saved them.

“It’s gotten a bit too quiet, don’t you think?” he said, looking to the kitchen. “You don’t think they’ve died from panicking, do you?”

Noya and Tanaka looked at each other before they stood, darting into the kitchen. Ennoshita and Asahi sighed, following after them when they heard Daichi shouting. That left Hinata and Kageyama in the living room. They both sighed in relief, glad to have the conversation off of them.

“So, did you actually find someone?” Hinata asked, looking at him.

Kageyama shoved him, making Hinata laugh. “Shut up, idiot.”

-.-.-

Hinata and Kageyama stayed for another hour before deciding to give the nearly married couple a break, and then headed home. They left the chaos that was Suga destroying Tanaka and Noya in Mario Party and walked out of the apartment building, quickly being hit with the bitter fall breeze. Hinata shivered a little, instinctually moving closer to Kageyama.

“We definitely lied to our friends, didn’t we?” Kageyama said. Hinata looked up, but Kageyama was looking forward, frowning.

“Yeah, we did,” he said, voice quiet.

“We lied to our friends, and now they’re expecting us to show up with dates.”

“Yeah.”

It was quiet for a minute, the only sound coming from their steps. “We’re completely screwed.”

Hinata thought about who they could go with as a fitting solution as they walked into their own apartment building. He sighed a little from the warmth, stepping away from Kageyama. Although part of him wanted to stay close for some reason, he pushed it away. They walked up the stairs in silence, and it wasn’t until they stepped into their apartment that Hinata spoke.

“What if we go together?” Kageyama froze, slowly turning to look at him, and Hinata raised his hands. “Not as a couple, just friends, you know? Just so we don’t look like we were lying.” He laughed nervously when Kageyama didn’t say anything. “It’s a stu--”

“No, that’s actually a good idea,” Kageyama said, cutting Hinata off. Hinata froze and blinked. It only made Kageyama start to laugh. “This is perfect, actually. If we go together, then we don’t have to worry about any awkward situations with people and Tanaka and Noya will stop asking us if we have dates. Hinata, it’s perfect!”

Something warm wriggled around in Hinata’s chest at hearing Kageyama’s praise, and he couldn’t help smiling at him. “See, I can come up with good ideas sometimes.”

Kageyama snorted, shaking his head. “Yeah, sometimes.” He slipped out of his shoes and walked to the kitchen, Hinata following after. “Okay, now that that’s figured out, I guess the question is, do we tell them tomorrow?” he said, grabbing two water bottles from the fridge.

Hinata perched himself on the counter, taking one of them. “I think we should wait until the day of. Make it a surprise.” Kageyama nodded, leaning against the counter next to him.

“That’s fine with me. Next order of business, colours.”

“Obviously I’m going to wear something orange, and you should wear something blue.”

Kageyama looked over at him, a glint in his eye. “Or, we play up the whole date thing and wear each other’s colours.”

That made the warmth in Hinata’s chest stir again, and he laughed, feeling light. “That would actually be perfect. Should we wear the colour in our ties?”

“I was thinking bow ties, because they are the superior neckwear.” That made them both laugh, and Hinata nodded in agreement. “Cool. Well, I’m going to bed. We can talk more about this tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Kageyama nodded and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Hinata sitting on the counter, the water bottle unopened in his hands. He looked down at it, swiping at the beads of water that rolled on the surface.

The warmth in his chest was starting to get distracting, and every time he tried to push it away, images of Kageyama smiling and laughing flashed through his mind. He sighed, shaking his head. “It’s just relief, that’s all,” he told himself, heading to his room. “There’s nothing more to it.”

That’s what he told himself, anyway.

-.-.-

The next week came and went far too quickly for anyone’s liking, and soon the day of the wedding was upon them. The sun had barely risen when Hinata’s phone started going off like crazy, texts and phone calls coming in. He groaned, grabbing it and answering it with a groggy, “Hello?”

“Hinata, thank god you’re awake,” Suga said, relief flooding his voice.

“Suga? What time is it?” Hinata asked, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes.

“A little after seven. But that’s not the point. Have you heard from Noya or Asahi?” Suga asked, his voice pitching higher with panic.

Hinata pulled his phone away, putting it on speaker, and he went to his texts. There were a few from Daichi and Suga, but none from Noya or Asahi. “No, I haven’t. Are they not answering their phones?”

“No, and Asahi is supposed to be here helping us move everything to the venue.” There was a shout in the background from Daichi, and Suga sighed. “Daichi got a hold of them, thank god. I’m so sorry for waking you.”

He waved his hand, only remembering after the fact that Suga couldn’t see him. “Don’t be. Just try to relax, okay? It’s your day after all.”

“I will. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, see you later, Suga.”

They hung up and Hinata sighed, falling back against his pillows. His body was rebelling against being awake, his eyes already starting to droop, so he double-checked his alarm before letting himself fall back asleep.

It wasn’t his alarm that woke him next, but rather Kageyama banging on his door. Hinata jerked awake, sitting up too quickly. His head spun as the door opened. “Did you not hear your alarm?”

“What are you talking about?"

“You said you’d be awake by ten. It’s almost noon. We need to leave in an hour.”

Hinata’s eyes widened and he scrambled for his phone, groaning as he saw that Kageyama was right. “Crap, sorry. Suga called me at seven and I guess I forgot to unsilence my phone. I’ll be ready in thirty.”

“You better, otherwise I’m leaving you here,” Kageyama said as he walked out.

Hinata rolled his eyes, getting out of bed to take a quick shower. He was thankful that he’d remembered to hang his suit up the night before to prevent wrinkles. He’d just finished tying his bow tie when Kageyama walked past his room, all but pulling him out of their apartment.

“Okay, when we get there, do you want to tell them, or should I?” Hinata asked, buckling himself and looking over at Kageyama.

“You can if you want, I don’t really care,” Kageyama said, starting the car.

Hinata nodded, and they rode in silence. It was an hour to the venue, and the entire time, they didn’t say anything. To be fair, Hinata was stuck in his thoughts. Something about seeing Kageyama in a suit made his heart flutter, the warmth that had been bothering him for the past week stirring again. He didn’t like the feeling. Didn’t like that he couldn’t name it. But it grew with the thought of telling the others that they were each other's dates.

Kageyama parked the car and they sat there, not looking at each other and not saying anything. Hinata could tell that they were both nervous. Not  _ just _ because they had gone with each other, since no one in their group was straight... but because they’d  _ only _ gone with each other due to lying that night.

“Come on, let’s just get this over with,” Kageyama said, breaking the silence. Hinata nodded, getting out of the car with him, and they walked into the venue.

Hinata gasped when he stepped in, eyes wide. He’d seen pictures of what it would look like in Daichi and Suga’s binder, but seeing it in person was completely different. There were white lilies and carnations in vases on every table, tied with black and orange ribbons. Fairy lights were strung along the walls, the curtains drawn just enough to allow the lights to make the room glow. Everything looked ethereal and glowy and it made him smile.

“Hey! There you are!” Noya said, bounding over to them. Tanaka, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima followed after him, closing off the little circle they had. “So, where are your dates?”

Hinata looked at Kageyama for a second before looking back at the others. “Actually, we came together.”

There were stares, and Hinata started to feel nervous. But Noya, Tanaka, and Yamaguchi all smiled at them. “You know, I’m not surprised you came together,” Tsukishima said, earning a look from Kageyama.

“You know, I have to agree with Tsukishima, there,” Noya said. Tanaka nodded in agreement.

“I’m just glad you guys figured things out,” Yamaguchi said with a smile.

Hinata furrowed his brows, thoroughly confused. “What do you--”

“Hey! Hinata! Kageyama!” They turned to see Lev and Yaku walking in, Lev waving at them. “You guys look great.”

“The same could be said about you,” Noya said, fist bumping Yaku.

“Kenma and Kuroo here yet?” Yaku asked, looking around the room.

Yamaguchi pointed to one of the far tables. “They’ve been here for a while. Something about moral support for Daichi. At least, that’s what Kuroo said.”

Yaku shook his head. “Dumbass. Anyway, let’s go sit. The ceremony is starting soon.”

There was a collective nod and the group followed Yaku. Hinata and Kageyama hung back a little. “What did they mean by all that?” Hinata whispered, glancing up at Kageyama.

“I don’t know. I’m just as confused as you are,” he whispered back, frowning a little.

Hinata hummed, sitting next to Kenma. His friend gave a little wave before turning his attention back to his game, and Hinata saw Kuroo roll his eyes a little. They didn’t have to wait long for the ceremony to start. Music started playing and Daichi and Asahi walked to the front, standing off to the right.

Even Hinata could tell that Daichi was nervous. He kept shifting from one foot to the other, and Asahi kept whispering in his ear. Whatever he said made Daichi laugh a little, some of the tension leaving his shoulders, and Hinata smiled.

The song changed and they all turned to see Suga walking in. He had a bouquet of white lilies and carnations, as well as a few red roses mixed in. It matched the white suit he wore, and as he passed the table they were all sitting at, he smiled brightly. It made Hinata smile more.

The music cut when Suga got to the front, Ennoshita standing to his side. Tanaka whistled, earning an embarrassed smile from Ennoshita and a glare from both Suga and Daichi, which only made their table laugh. It chased away any lingering questions Hinata might have had, his attention fully on his friends.

Hinata got teary-eyed sometime during their vows, and he wiped at his eyes. A tissue was pushed into his hand, and he looked to see Kageyama holding it, his eyes focused on Daichi and Suga. But Hinata could see his eyes were also a little glassy. He took the tissue, blowing his nose, and tapped Kageyama’s hand in a thank you. Kageyama just nodded.

It wasn’t until the officiant announced them as married that the tears came full force. Hinata cheered with everyone else while tears streamed down his cheeks. He didn’t even question when Kageyama wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a side hug. Nor did he question when Kenma gave them a questioning look. He was too focused on the fact that his friends were finally married.

It took a few minutes for Hinata to calm down, and when he did, he was handed another tissue. “Thanks, Kags,” he said, voice cracking a little.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kageyama said, using the cuff of his jacket to wipe at his eyes. “You look a little gross like that.”

Hinata swatted him, and Kageyama laughed, making Hinata smile. The warm feeling in his chest was back, and he made a mental note to ask Suga about it. They followed the rest of the Crows to the entrance, waiting for the happy couple, and they all cheered when they appeared.

“I’m so happy for you guys!” Hinata said, running up and hugging Suga tightly. Suga laughed and hugged him back.

“Congratulations, you two,” Yamaguchi said, hugging Daichi.

“We’re really happy to see you guys here,” Suga said, pulling away from Hinata.

Kuroo shook Daichi’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “There’s no way we would’ve missed it.”

Noya all but launched himself when Asahi reappeared, eyes a little red. “God, this makes me want to marry you,” he said, to which Asahi sputtered, blushing bright red. It made everyone laugh.

“I don’t think poor Asahi is ready for marriage,” Daichi laughed, earning a glare from Asahi.

“He knows I’d wait forever to marry him if I had to,” Noya said. Asahi looked like he was close to dying, and everyone laughed again.

“Come on, everyone is waiting for you two to cake,” Tanaka said, ushering Daichi and Suga back into the room.

“All you care about is cake,” Daichi mused.

“Yeah, yeah. Hurry up!”

Everyone followed, but Suga pulled Hinata to the side. Kageyama looked back at him and Suga smiled, waving him along. “So, you and Kageyama?” Hinata furrowed his eyebrows and Suga tapped his tie. “You’re wearing each other’s colours.”

Hinata looked down at his bowtie, face flushing. He’d completely forgotten about it. “Oh, yeah! We came together. Wearing each other’s colours was his idea, actually.”

“I think it’s fitting,” Suga said, his voice sounding like someone who knew a secret they couldn’t tell. It made Hinata tilt his head a little. Suga shook his head. “I’m just glad you guys didn’t take the whole date thing too seriously.”

“Me too. This is more fun, anyway,” Hinata said. Because it was. He didn’t feel like he had to be anyone other than himself, and he kept seeing Kageyama laugh and smile. His heart fluttered, and he frowned a little.

“Everything alright?” Suga asked, worry lacing his voice.

“Yeah! Sorry, just thinking is all.” Suga eyed him, and Hinata bit his lip. “Actually, I had something I wanted to ask you.”

“And what would that be?”

“Why do I keep having this warm feeling in my chest whenever Kags laughs or smiles?”

Suga’s eyes widened a little, and he laughed. But before he could answer, Daichi was calling him. “We’ll talk more later, okay? I gotta get up there.”

“Okay,” Hinata said, letting Suga jog to where Daichi was. He was a little confused as to why his question made Suga laugh, but it wasn’t something he had long to think about. Tanaka and Noya were calling him, so he joined them, sticking close to Kageyama.

“What was that about?” Kageyama asked, voice low enough that only Hinata heard.

“He just asked if we came together, that’s all.” He omitted Kageyama’s question. It wasn’t something he could talk to him about. Not now, anyway.

-.-.-

Tables were pushed to the sides of the room against the walls and the cake was served. Music blared from the speakers and alcohol had been brought out at some point. Everyone was dancing and having a good time.

Hinata and Kageyama were sitting at one of the tables, each on their third drink, and were onto their second slices of cake. Though instead of eating it, they were flicking pieces of it at each other. Surprisingly, they’d managed to  _ not _ get cake on their suits despite their terrible aim.

At some point, Ennoshita had come over and taken their cake away, saying something about making a mess. Hinata and Kageyama laughed as he walked away, though Hinata guessed anything could make them laugh at that point. He was feeling a little light-headed, having never been good at holding his alcohol, and based on the flush on Kageyama’s face, his date could say the same.

A slow song started playing and Hinata watched as the various couples in the room started pairing up, finding a place on the dance floor. He watched them with a soft smile, swaying a little in his seat. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Kageyama stand up. Hinata was ready to turn to ask where he was going when he appeared in front of him.

“Do you want to dance?” he asked, voice quiet. He offered Hinata a hand, and Hinata looked between it and the nervous smile on Kageyama’s lips.

“I would love to,” Hinata said, taking his hand. He saw Kageyama’s face flush, but thought it was just the alcohol, so he didn’t think much of it. Not that he could think much of anything other than the fact that Kageyama’s hand was really warm in his own, and it felt like they fit perfectly together.

Hinata kept his eyes on Kageyama, smiling at him as he pulled them to the edge of the dance floor. He saw Tanaka and Noya out of the corner of his eye, heard them cheer a little, but he just laughed.

Kageyama came to a stop, turning to look at him, and Hinata smiled up at him. Kageyama had a small smile, and it only made Hinata smile more. “You know, you should smile more,” Hinata said, earning him a scowl. “I said  _ smile _ , not scowl.”

“Yeah, well, I smile plenty, thank you very much,” Kageyama said, the faintest of smiles starting to form. Hinata just shook his head, taking a step towards him. He wrapped his arms around Kageyama’s shoulders, and Kageyama wrapped his arms around Hinata’s waist. The feeling made Hinata’s face burn, and he could see that Kageyama’s was just as red.

It was new, standing this close to him. Or really, standing this close to him in a way that felt almost intimate. Because that’s how this felt to Hinata. It felt intimate and new and scary, but also exciting and fun. Part of him -- a large part of him -- liked being this close. The thought made his heart flutter, and he laughed.

“What are you laughing at?” Kageyama said, looking down at him.

“Nothing, promise,” Hinata said, smiling at him. Kageyama eyed him, but let it go, swaying them in time with the music.

Halfway through the song, Kageyama pulled Hinata closer, causing the latter to make a sound as he stood almost flush against Kageyama’s chest. Hinata looked up at him, warmth breath fanning over his forehead. For a fleeting moment, he wondered what Kageyama’s lips felt like, but immediately looked away, his face burning.  _ I didn’t just think that. _

He rested his forehead against Kageyama’s chest, closing his eyes. The slight swaying was nice, almost comforting, and he breathed deeply, his hands slipping to grip at the front of Kageyama’s shirt. Kageyama’s arms tightened around his waist, holding him close, and Hinata smiled, reveling in the feeling of everything.

The song ended and they pulled apart. Not fully, though. Kageyama kept an arm wrapped around Hinata’s waist, effectively holding him against his side, and Hinata leaned against him in response. They were still swaying slightly, though whether from the music or the alcohol, he couldn’t tell.

They did eventually walk back to their table, sitting far closer than they had been before. Their knees knocked against each other, and occasionally, their hands would brush together. But neither of them said anything about it. It was like they were in a trance or under a spell, one that they didn’t want to break.

Soon people started to leave, and when Hinata looked down at his phone, he saw that it was almost nine. He didn’t know where the day had gone, but all at once, the exhaustion of everything hit him. He yawned, leaning his head on Kageyama’s shoulder, and a hand came up to play with his hair. He closed his eyes, smiling a little.

“Come on, let’s get to the hotel,” Kageyama whispered, pulling his hand away. Hinata whimpered, and Kageyama laughed, pulling him up with him. Hinata leaned heavily against him as they walked over to Daichi and Suga. He vaguely remembered hugging them, hearing Kageyama tell them that they were leaving, but he was more focused on staying upright.

The hotel was a short walk away from the venue, and as soon as they got into the elevator, Hinata started falling asleep. Kageyama wrapped an arm around his shoulders to keep him upright and led him to the room. Hinata managed to kick off his shoes, as well as shucking off his jacket and shirt, before falling onto the bed with a sigh.

“Hey, move over,” Kageyama said. Hinata grumbled, but did move over, feeling the bed dip where Kageyama laid down. He wasn’t really thinking when he moved, but he rolled over and curled into Kageyama’s chest, smiling when he felt an arm pull him close.

He felt safe and warm, and mixed with the alcohol, the feeling lulled him to sleep.

-.-.-

Hinata was woken up by the feeling of almost falling off the bed. He scrambled to stay on it and managed to hang on, just barely. “Kageyama, what the hell?” he yawned, opening one eye.

Kageyama was perched on the other side of the bed, face bright red. “What do you mean, ‘what the hell’? Why the hell were you sleeping in the same bed as me?”

“How should I know?” Hinata said, waking up more. “You could’ve slept on the couch if it was that big a deal.” Kageyama made a noise, and it was then that Hinata really figured out what he meant. He looked down at himself, sighing a little when he saw that his pants were still on, and looked back at Kageyama.

“Let’s just go back home,” Kageyama said, getting off the bed and walking quickly out of the room. Hinata looked after him, feeling hurt for some reason. He didn’t know why. Couldn’t think of any reason why he would. But he followed after him, grabbing his things and slipping his shoes on.

The walk to Kageyama’s car was tense, and the drive even more so. Neither of them said anything, and that trend continued even when they got back home. It wasn’t until they made it inside their apartment that Hinata broke the silence.

“Are we not going to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about? We fell asleep, that’s it.”

“Yeah, but--”

“Hinata,” Kageyama said a little coldly. It shut him up quickly, and Hinata looked at him with wide eyes. Kageyama sighed, turning away from him. “Let’s just not, okay? Not right now.”

“Fine,” Hinata said, pushing past him and walking to his room. His chest felt tight as he closed the door, and he leaned against it with a sigh.

If Kageyama didn’t want to talk about it, then so be it. It’s not like Hinata could force him to, anyway. He didn’t even know what he’d say. He shook his head, stripping out of his suit and changing into his pajamas. He was thankful it was the weekend, but he was exhausted.

Hinata fell onto his bed, falling asleep pretty quickly.

-.-.-

It’d been a couple of weeks since the wedding, and in that time, neither Hinata nor Kageyama talked about what had happened that night. The first couple of days, Hinata had tried, but Kageyama would always brush it off. After a while, Hinata soon gave up on it. Not that it ever left his mind. He just never voiced his thoughts.

Along with Kageyama’s constant brushing off, midterms had been fast approaching, so conversation was seldom about much other than the suffering brought about with studying. That, and volleyball. Thankfully, none of the other Crows had brought up whatever had happened at the wedding, though that may have been due to only seeing them at volleyball practice (or at least, that’s what Hinata chalked it up to).

It’s not until that weekend that they actually addressed the issue.

Daichi and Suga had gotten back from their honeymoon that week, and the entire team had clearly missed them. As midterms had just ended, the Crows decided that a game night was in order.

There was an air of relief with Daichi and Suga no longer constantly stressing over their wedding, and the rest of the team -- at least the part that had gone over -- was finally given a break from studying and classwork. It was nice being around everyone, laughing and poking fun at how bad gaming skills were. It was something that Hinata hadn’t realized he’d missed until he saw it.

He suddenly felt warmth on his arm, turning his head slightly to see Kageyama leaning against him -- just enough to be considered leaning -- while he watched Tanaka and Noya losing terribly to Suga. It made something flutter in Hinata’s chest, but he didn’t think too much about it. Instead, he tilted his head a little, resting it against Kageyama.

They stayed like that for a while, neither moving, and instead seemed to sink against each other. They honestly weren’t that aware of it, engrossed as they were in watching Suga (once again), beat Tanaka and Noya. It wasn’t until Suga said something that Hinata realized what was going on.

“You guys seem happier than normal,” Suga said, gaze briefly flicking towards them before looking back at the TV as the race started. Hinata face grew hot and he felt Kageyama stiffen next to him.

It wasn’t as though it were an odd comment to be made, but more so that the tone Suga had used made it seem like they were together. And while that thought  _ had _ crossed Hinata’s mind occasionally -- never romantically, or at least, he didn’t think so -- it still made his stomach twist.

“I-- uh-- we’re not--” Hinata stammered, immediately pulling away from Kageyama. Suga chuckled, effectively cutting him off, and Hinata’s face flushed again.

“He has a point, you know,” Daichi said, smiling over at them.

“You-- we--” Kageyama said, stuck in the same jumble that Hinata was in.

“I think it’s kind of a perfect match, you know? I mean, you guys have this, like, telepathic connection on the court. Only seems fitting that it would also work off the court, too,” Yamaguchi said from where he sat.

It was a good-natured comment. Of course, he knew that. But it didn’t do much to help Hinata’s panic. Instead, it only fueled it, and in a last act of desperation, he looked over at Kageyama, hoping he would have something --  _ anything _ \-- to say. That hope fell away when he saw the same panic written on his friend’s face.

Suga won the race and set the Joy-Con down. He turned to look at them, a wide smile spread over his face. “I’m just really glad to see you two happy.”

As though they shared the same thought, Hinata and Kageyama looked at each other, understanding in their eyes.

_ They can’t know that we aren’t dating. _

-.-.-

Over the next few weeks when the Crows would meet up, Hinata and Kageyama would act like they were dating. Really through small things, like leaning against each other while they watched movies, or fake smiling more often at each other. Things that would keep up the disguise that they were dating while not making it awkward for them.

At times, though, Hinata would catch Kageyama’s eye and, for a brief moment, see something in them that he didn’t recognize. It was soft, warm, and it made his heart flutter and his stomach twist. But it was only ever for a split second before Kageyama would look away, his face flushing.

Hinata hated this feeling, if he was being honest. It was foreign and unknown, and the more he felt it, the more he wished he didn’t. Kageyama was his best friend. He’d never felt like this before. But he knew this wasn’t how you felt with your friends. And that made him hate it even more.

They never talked about their little ruse. Neither of them knew how to bring it up. Didn’t know how to voice the thoughts that went through their heads when they put on an act for their friends. Hinata especially didn’t know how to explain the way he felt, nor did he have the courage to. He was too scared to say something that would their ruin their friendship, and that was the last thing he wanted.

As time went by, though, these little things started to bleed into their day-to-day lives. The slight brush of hands while doing the dishes. The glances held for a second longer than necessary. The need for each other’s warmth while they watched movies. Slowly, but surely, things started to feel more… domestic.

It was confusing, to say the least. Sometimes Hinata wondered if it was all an act. If they were only doing this to keep up appearances around their friends, or if there was something more. This thought especially popped into his head when they started doing them by themselves, as if it were natural.

But that domestic feeling made Hinata’s chest feel warm and his heart grow light, and he caught himself smiling more often than not. It made him happy, and he didn’t want to let go of that feeling.

It was when he decided he didn’t want to let go of that feeling that he realized that he has romantic feelings for Kageyama. For his best friend.

-.-.-

Kageyama was out with Daichi for study help when Hinata finally had enough of his solitary panicking and called Kenma. It was well into the afternoon, and on a weekend no less, so he knew that Kenma was both awake and free. The phone only rang a few times before Kenma picked up.

“Hinata, what’s up?” he asked, voice sounding a little distracted.

“I think I like Kageyama,” Hinata blurted. It wasn’t the first thing he’d wanted to say, but it was what had come out. Saying it -- acknowledging it -- felt like a weight being lifted off his shoulders. He sank back against his mattress, staring up at his ceiling. “I think I like Kageyama.” His voice had grown quiet, and he closed his eyes, feeling his heart race and his face burn.

The sound of key clicks came from Kenma’s end, as well as audible shuffling. “You like Kageyama?”

A simple statement, but one that sent Hinata’s mind racing. Hearing someone else say,  _ repeat _ it, was like a nightmare come to life. It filled his veins with ice. Urged his stomach drop. It made him start to panic.

“I think? I don’t know. I don’t understand why being around him makes me feel--” Hinata waved his hands, unaware that Kenma couldn’t see him, “--weird. I hate it. And I can’t tell him because he’s my best friend. How could I have feelings for my  _ best friend _ ? Who does that? But I don’t want to lose him, you know? And the things he does, like the cuddling and the--”

“Hinata, breathe,” Kenma interrupted, making Hinata freeze. “What do you mean, ‘weird’?”

“It’s like-- you know how balloons are light and just kind of float?” Hinata said, fully aware that analogies were not his strong suit. When Kenma didn’t question it, he continued. “It’s like that. My chest feels light. And warm. Like sitting in the sun.”

Kenma was quiet for a moment. “And do you hate that feeling?”

“I--” Hinata stopped, thinking. Did he? He hated the unknown part of it. Hated that it happened so often. But did he hate the light and warm feeling? “...no, I don’t think I do.”

“Alright. That’s good.”

Hinata opened his eyes and glared at his ceiling. “How is that good?”

“Do you feel like that around anyone else?”

“Well, no, but--”

“When do you feel like that?”

“When I’m around Kageyama.”

“And does that seem like a coincidence?”

“Well, no, but--”

“So then why is it such a stretch that you  _ do _ like him?”

Hinata thought about that for a second. He’d already said he had feelings for Kageyama. And if Kenma wasn’t telling him he was being dumb for it, then maybe it wasn’t that bad a thing. It helped ease his panic, if only by a little.

However, there was another thought bugging him. “But do I tell him?”

Kenma huffed a laugh, and Hinata frowned. “I don’t see why not. He definitely has feelings for you.”

“How do you know?” Hinata asked.

“Just in the way he looks at you while you’re on the court.”

“What--”

“How about you join Lev and me next Saturday for some more practice? Yaku offered to do some receiving drills with us, and given that you still kind of suck at receiving, it’d be a good help.”

“Hey!” Hinata said, sitting up quickly. “I’m not  _ that _ bad!"

Kenma laughed again, which helped to ease Hinata’s thoughts. “I didn’t say you were bad. Believe me, Lev is still so much worse than you.” Hinata laughed at that. “So is that a yes?”

“It’s volleyball, do you even need to ask?”

-.-.-

The week came and went without anything big happening. Though for most of the week, Hinata felt like he was dancing around Kageyama. Not because he felt uncomfortable, but because he suddenly felt like he was seeing things in a new light. Hinata caught himself observing Kageyama more. Analyzing the things he did. Trying to see if there was any truth in what Kenma had said.

By the time Saturday came around, Hinata felt like he was going a little crazy.

Practice with Kenma was a nice reprieve from both his thoughts and his madness. Instead of focusing on the little changes in the way Kageyama looked at him, Hinata focused on the arcs of the balls and the sting of his skin. Instead of watching the way Kageyama leaned closer to him, Hinata watched the way Yaku moved, copying his stance. Instead of holding his breath whenever Kageyama moved closer to him, Hinata breathed out with every receive, watching the ball arc to where Kenma stood, ready to set.

All in all, it was a much-needed distraction from everything, and when the practice came to an end, all Hinata could think about was the way his muscles ached and the way his shirt clung to him with sweat.

Hinata all but fell to the floor next to Kenma, quickly downing a good portion of his water bottle. The cold liquid made his throat spasm, and he nearly choked on the water. He heard Kenma laugh, Hinata shoving him a little in response.

“You’d feel rotten if I actually choked,” Hinata said, humour lacing his voice.

“Knowing you, you’d come back from the grave just to prove that, even dead, you were the best volleyball player,” Kenma said, rocking back into place.

Hinata hummed, thinking. “You know, you’re probably right.”

That succeeded in making Kenma laugh more, and Hinata joined him, falling onto his back. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Kenma nudged Hinata’s foot, getting his attention. “Sit up for a sec.”

Hinata did, very confused. But before he could ask why, Kenma leaned forward, kissing him, on the lips. Hinata’s eyes widened and he leaned away, looking at Kenma like the boy had just burned him. “Kenma, what--”

He didn’t get to finish his thought. Hinata heard the sound of a volleyball dropping from behind, and he turned to see Kageyama staring at them. His blue eyes were wide, though his expression was hard to read from across the gym. The ball rolled away from him slowly, and Hinata blinked. Kageyama turned briskly, all but storming out of the gym.

“Kageyama, wait!” Hinata yelled, scrambling to his feet. But it was too late. The doors slammed shut behind him, leaving the gym in silence and Hinata with his hand outstretched. All at once, everything crashed down on him, and anger swelled in Hinata’s chest. “Kenma, what the heck?! You know how I felt about him! Why would you  _ kiss _ me?!”

Hinata’s eyes widened, and he looked back at the doors. “Oh god, he saw you kiss me. He saw  _ you _ kiss  _ me _ . Oh god, no-no-no. He hates me now, doesn’t he?” Hinata whirled towards Kenma, but the boy was busy scrolling through his phone. The panic in Hinata’s chest drowned out any anger he felt, and he soon couldn’t grasp onto a single thought.

Hinata wasn’t really thinking when he started running. Didn’t really comprehend the fact that he was in shorts and it was cold. Didn’t really know where he was going until he was outside a door, breathing heavily but pounding on the wood. It wasn’t until Suga opened the door that he was brought back to his senses.

He fell to his knees, his legs and chest burning, trying to catch his breath. Hinata was sure Suga was talking, but he couldn’t hear him over the rushing in his own ears. His chest was tight, though whether that was from the running or the panic that still had a firm grasp on him, he didn’t know.

It took a minute for him to be able to breathe again, and in that time, Suga had kneeled down in front of him, looking at him worriedly. Hinata blinked, taking a few more deep breaths.

“Come inside, I’ll get you some water,” Suga said, offering Hinata a hand. He took it and let Suga pull him into the apartment. He was sat at the table, and Suga left to the kitchen, only to return a few seconds later with a glass of water. Hinata took it, taking a large drink, and Suga sat next to him.

It was another couple of minutes before either of them spoke.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Suga asked, voice soft, measured. It reminded Hinata of someone talking to a scared animal.

He might’ve laughed at the comparison, had his thoughts not been racing a mile a minute. He was a scared animal, caught in a snare that seemed to grow tighter and tighter the longer he was imprisoned.

The words came before he could even process what he was saying. Hinata told Suga about everything that had happened-- from the wedding, to the waking up next to Kageyama, to the fake dating, and everything in between. He told Suga about his feelings towards Kageyama, about the confusions and the happiness. Told Suga about the kiss with Kenma and Kageyama storming off. He told him everything.

Throughout it all, Suga sat there, patiently listening. He never interjected, never made a move to interrupt him. Just let him speak. Let him say everything that was stuck in his brain until there was nothing left. Until Hinata just sat there, staring at the table, empty.

“Have you talked to Kageyama about any of this?” Suga asked, tone measured and even. Hinata shook his head, not daring to look up at him. “And what do you think would be his reaction?”

“I don’t know,” Hinata said quietly. Because he didn’t. He hadn’t given himself time to think about it. Hadn’t really had the time  _ to _ think about it.

“I think you should talk to him.” A simple statement, but one that held far more weight to it than it should’ve.

Hinata lifted his gaze, looking up at Suga. He was smiling a little. There was no judgement in his gaze. No anger or disappointment, and it lifted a weight off Hinata’s shoulders that he didn’t know was there.

“I don’t know if I can.”

“I know. But you need to, if only for your sake.” Hinata knew Suga was right. That he needed to talk to Kageyama. But he was afraid that everything would go wrong. That he’d lose his best friend.

Suga reached a hand out, resting it on Hinata’s shoulder. “It’s going to be scary, and I know that all you can think about is the worst possible outcome. But believe me when I say that  _ talking _ to him is going to be the only way to not be afraid anymore.”

-.-.-

Hinata talked with Suga for a little while longer before apologizing for showing up without any notice. Suga just waved it off with a smile before shooing him out of the apartment. “Let me know what happens, okay?”

“I will. Thank you, Suga, really.”

Suga just smiled at him, and Hinata made the trek home. He had the brief thought of his things in the gym, but he knew Kenma would drop them off at his apartment if he hadn’t already done so. True to his nature, Hinata’s things were sitting outside his apartment, along with a note

_ Trust me - Kenma _

Hinata shoved the note into his bag and pushed his way into the apartment. He was met with Kageyama pacing the living room, and Hinata paused to watch him. His expression was unreadable, but it didn’t look positive. It looked to Hinata like he was in the middle of a silent conversation.

Kageyama made a noise of frustration and turned towards the hall, only to freeze when he saw Hinata. They stared at each other, both wide-eyed and rooted to the spot. Time seemed to freeze.

“Why were you kissing Kenma?” Kageyama blurted. He sounded desperate, as though the question had been eating away at him. It snapped Hinata out of his stupor.

“I wasn’t kissing him, he kissed  _ me _ ,” Hinata said, dropping his bag to the ground. “Why do you care, anyway?”

“I don’t.” Kageyama’s voice had gotten defensive, and that made something bubble in Hinata’s chest.

“If you didn’t care, then why are you getting defensive?” he asked, the words bitter on his tongue.

Kageyama narrowed his eyes. “Who said I was getting defensive?”

“No one needed to say it! Why do you care who I kiss?”

“I don’t care!” Hinata could see Kageyama’s face getting redder from his anger, and it only made whatever it was in his chest bubble more.

“You clearly do!” Hinata started towards Kageyama. “Why do you care who I kiss?! Why do you care that Kenma kissed me?!”

He stopped a few steps in front of Kageyama, having to tilt his head up to look at him.

“Because I like you, you  _ idiot _ !” Kageyama yelled, face red and voice raw. His eyes widened, and he took a few steps back. Hinata stared at him with wide eyes. “I didn’t mean that. You didn’t hear anything.”

But they both know that was a lie. Hinata had heard it. Had heard the sincerity in Kageyama’s voice. His heartbeat picked up at hearing that his feelings were reciprocated. Kageyama was still talking, trying to dig himself out of the hole he’d gotten himself into, but Hinata couldn’t focus on anything he was saying. All he could focus on was that Kageyama liked him.

Hinata surged forward, startling Kageyama, and he reached to grab his face. “Oh, shut up,” he said, leaning up and kissing him. He felt Kageyama stiffen, but he soon relaxed. His arms found their way around Hinata’s waist, pulling him closer. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds, but they were both a little out of breath when they pulled away.

“I like you, too, you idiot,” Hinata whispered, looking up at Kageyama.

“You do?” Kageyama asked just as softly, as though scared that if he spoke any louder, he’d break whatever spell they were under.

“Yeah, I do,” Hinata whispered back, smiling a little as Kageyama sighed in relief, leaning his forehead against Hinata’s.

“We’re both idiots, aren’t we?”

Hinata laughed and nodded, kissing Kageyama again. “Yeah, we are.”

They sat on the couch, huddled close but staying quiet. Hinata sent Suga a quick text, letting him know that everything was okay, and that he and Kageyama were going to talk about things. He put his phone away, closing his eyes and leaning into Kageyama’s side. Kageyama pulled him close, his warmth comforting.

It was strange, how all of this came about, and that there might have been a million things more to talk about. But for now, Hinata was content with staying how they were, Kageyama’s warmth against him. It lulled him to sleep, knowing that he felt the same, that his feelings were reciprocated. They’d talk later, maybe tomorrow. Figure out what they were and where they’d go from here.

All Hinata knew was that he had his best friend, and hopefully boyfriend, with him, here and now. That was all that mattered.


End file.
